This Open Day at the Karnak Playhouse looked to be a wonderful day. Wish I had joined everyone there at this beautiful location built by DianeCilento – star of many films including The Wicker Man.

Last time we went there we could not get in but last Saturday August 26th 2017 there was a ‘Re-Awakening Day’ with an open invitation to visit Diana’s home up inland of Mossman in Queensland, Australia – just inland from Port Douglas on the lovely Pacific Ocean.

Diana Cilento’s home there is in such a beautiful location on the edge of the Daintree Forest – she had bought a small farm years ago and ran it and developed this Theatre.

My Daughter Joanna, and her family, however did attend this event – and he comments are below :-

It was an amazing place to see! Still a bit of work to go, but they all have clear passion to make Karnak a nationally recognised creative hub where people can go and express their talents in a relaxed, positive and supportive environment. Informative speech from Diane Cilento’s daughter and close friend. I think they had lots of fun their in the 70’s ad 80’s!

The Karnak Playhouse Open Day at Whyanbeel Nr. Mossman in Queensland, Australia the late film actress Diane Cilento’s home, was held on Saturday 26 august 2017.

My daughter went along to this event – with her family – and sent me this message :-

It was an amazing place to see! Still a bit of work to go, but they all have clear passion to make Karnak a nationally recognised creative hub where people can go and express their talents in a relaxed, positive and supportive environment. Informative speech from Diane Cilento’s daughter and close friend. I think they had lots of fun there in the 70’s ad 80’s!

The rainforest captivated Diane and she purchased this small farm there – and soon established an amphitheatre which became The Karnak Playhouse – and that was more than 25 years ago.

Karnak Playhouse fell into disrepair, having not been used, after her death in 2011, which was mainly due to a long probate period that has only recently been resolved. There are plans now to turn the location into a vibrant performing arts venue, a place to nurture young and emerging performing artists. Renovations of the site including the 500 seat outdoor theatre will require quite substantial funds and the Foundation hopes to attract public donations.

We have posted about The Karnak Playhouse previously when I visited in Autumn 2016, but could not gain entry at that time – but I am pleased to say that my daughter Joanna and family have been there – Wish I had too but maybe I will be lucky. It certainly looks a magic place. The above pictures are mainly from my daughter.

In the British Film world of 1950, the stars had a very good lifestyle – they also had some very nice cars to run around in although nothing really compared to the vehicles of today. Nevertheless the cars had a very distinctive look as can be seen from these pictures for the 1950 Film Preview Annual.

John Mills above with his wife and daughter Juliet – in a Triumph Roadster.

One of the most famous – and remembered stunts in 50s film history is this 100 ft dive from the top of Torquilstone Castle in Ivanhoe 1952. Although there are a lot of stunts in this film, there is one that stands out and that is Paddy Ryan’s fall. This was reported to be the highest fall at that time in films.

Mind you the publicity machine would be pleased to use this in the run up to the film release in 1952

In the film Ivanhoe openly rides to Torquilstone castle to give himself up to the Normans if they will release his father and other hostages.

Stuntman Paddy Ryan’s fall from the battlements of a castle into the moat below, became the stuff of legend amongst his stuntmen peers because it was so spectacular.

Torqilstone Castle was built for the film in the grounds of the MGM Studios at Boreham Wood in Hertfordhsire – and in fact was kept there for and used in later films of the mid Fifties.

Somewhere in my collection of Film Books / Annuals of the time, I have another – and better picture of this fall, so will try to look that up for a later article on this site – and we will also come back to Torqilsone Castle.

A few nights ago in our local pub, we discussed the new film Dunkirk and one older man who had been to see it said that it was good – but not as good as the original. A couple of us couldn’t think of a previous film about Dunkirk except for the ones such as Mrs Miniver which had parts of it concerned with the event but we couldn’t remember a so called ‘original’ film of Dunkirk – so we both concluded that he was mistaken.

I later looked on the imdb site – and found that he had been quite correct – and in fact came across the 1958 film Dunkirk starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Miles among many other well known faces. Not only that but quite a few of the reviewers who had seen both films concluded that in fact the 1958 film was the better of the two versions.

Now I am on a mission to acquire and see the older film. It was directed by Barry Norman’s Dad the Director Leslie Norman and much of it was filmed around Rye Harbour in Sussex and Camber Sands nearby. Leslie Norman recalls ‘Dunkirk was bloody difficult to make from a logistics point of view. Yet it was made for ₤400,000 and came in under budget’

One Reviewer posted this – an extract from it here :-

Dunkirk is one of the best war movies I have ever seen. It was nice to see Sir John Mills in one of his best if not – THE best roles he ever was in. The makers of this fine film did a most excellent job in portraying as accurately as possible; the terrible events that made up Dunkirk.

The cast was excellent

Above: John Mills and Bernard Lee being filmed here with the travelling camera.

Above: Admin work on he set OR maybe a scene from the film

It appears that the camera – Above – is adapted for filming close to the water